


(and in between i drink) black coffee

by crotchety_old_emu



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-16
Updated: 2018-03-16
Packaged: 2019-04-01 02:10:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13988271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crotchety_old_emu/pseuds/crotchety_old_emu
Summary: at first, jensen thinks it'll pass. it always does. he's been infatuated before - he doesn't really need much more than broad shoulders and dark eyes to fall in love. thankfully he's also too shy to ever act on it, so he's always spared the disillusionment of realizing the guy really wasn't what he expected. this time, though, it's different.





	(and in between i drink) black coffee

Jensen's face is hidden behind the newspaper when he first hears the voice, even if it is kind of drowned out by the coffee machines. First thought that pops into his head is, 'Oh, so Jeff finally found a replacement for Justin.' 

He really hopes the new guy is just as good at making espresso as Justin was, because he's seriously over Sandy's poor excuse for coffee. Good thing she makes the best cupcakes this side of the universe.

Second thing he thinks of is, 'Is that a Texan accent?' Even though people from all over the country move to California, he's always slightly thrown to hear the slow, steady drawl from back home.

Suddenly, the voice is really close. 'Hey man, everywhere else is taken. You mind if my buddy sits here? I appreciate it.'

Before Jensen even has a chance to lower the paper and inform him that his backpack is actually perfectly happy sitting in that armchair and that it's pretty reluctant to move, the guy's already gone over to relieve a few girls of their empty mugs a couple tables down.

That's when Jensen gets his first look at him and his mouth goes dry at what he sees. The guy is gargantuan, like, ridiculously tall and muscled and tan and just - he's such a presence in the room, Jensen can't even fathom how he didn't notice him before. And his face. There's no way Jensen can describe it properly. It's a combination of adorable puppy eyes, a big pointy nose, thin lips with a smile as default setting and dimples. Dimples! He looks so open, cheerful and happy that Jensen just has to know what they're talking about.

He has to strain to hear what he's saying over the noise of the other customers and the roasting of coffee beans, but if he focuses real hard, he can just manage.

'Y'all had a good time?' he asks the girls, who trip over themselves to confirm. They're obviously smitten, but Jensen doesn't think he can blame 'em. 'That's great. Is there anything else I can get you?'

His eavesdropping is disturbed when his backpack is suddenly dropped in his lap, crumpling and tearing his paper. He looks over to the blond man that's sprawled all over the armchair as if he's got no bones left. 

'What?' the guy asks, holding up his hands. 'I wasn't gonna wait all day.'

'Don't you be harassing my customers, bitch,' the new barista says as he passes again, left hand full with a tray of empty mugs, but it doesn't stop him from successfully getting the blond guy in some kind of stranglehold. 'Y'all play nice.' 

He's still laughing as he passes into the kitchen. It's a throaty and full laugh, dimple-deep, that makes him throw his head back.

Yep. Definitely Texan. And yep. Jensen's definitely smitten too.

*

At first, Jensen thinks it'll pass. It always does. He's been infatuated before - he doesn't really need much more than broad shoulders and dark eyes to fall in love. Thankfully he's also too shy to ever act on it, so he's always spared the disillusionment of realizing the guy really wasn't what he expected.

This time, though, it's different. Of course, it doesn't help that he's in the coffee house almost daily, but Jensen's not going to change his routine because of a crush. That would be silly. He's got everything he needs here: comfortable seats, as much coffee as he could ever want, enough alone time for him to get a little studying done and his best friend to talk to during breaks. And now, eye-candy. Because these last couple of days, he hasn't been doing anything but watch the new guy laugh and talk with the customers as if he fucking owns the place.

And as far as Jensen's concerned, he does. He's amazing to look at, and not just because he looks like he just strolled off a catwalk and landed in the coffee house by accident. But the guy's got incredible people skills, as well. No matter what they throw at him, he always knows exactly what to say and the right amount of dimple to flash to make the customers laugh. It's fascinating. This guy is pretty much what Jensen will never be.

Jensen wants to know his secret. And everything else about him.

*

'Dan,' he says, for the twentieth time in half as many minutes, 'Danneel. Come over here a sec.'

Okay, pumping Danneel for information at eight thirty in the morning - when all the cranky businessmen are ordering their non-fat white chocolate ginger lattes or whatever from over their blackberries - might not have been his best laid plan. But it's the only time he knows for sure Danneel's at work, now the new guy's interrupted the schedule.

'Unless you're ordering something, Jensen,' Danneel says, looking slightly haphazard, 'now's not the time.'

'Fine, give me a long black,' he says. He knows it's Sandy who's in charge of making coffee today, but he'll put up with the sludge if that'll get him some answers. 'And one of those chocolate muffins.'

'We've only got blueberry,' Danneel tells him as she gets his coffee from Sandy, too busy to even throw him her apologetic look. 'It's been abnormally busy this morning. Chocolate's done in half an hour, if you want to wait.'

'No, that's fine, just give me that one, then,' he mutters.

'Really?' That does make her drop everything. She stares at him with big brown eyes. She looks worried. 'You hate blueberry. You want something from me, really bad, don't you?'

'It's not your judgment, but I see you're passing it just the same,' Jensen says with a smile.

She returns it as she puts the muffin in front of him. 'I'm sorry, Jensen,' she says. 'But last time you wanted something from me, I ended up pretending to be your girlfriend during your family's Christmas dinner. And you know how great that went.'

'It's their fault for not telling me they knew I was gay!' he says defensively. 'How was I supposed to know they were okay with it?'

Danneel gives him a look from under her eyebrows that does very little to hide what she's thinking. Which is, 'You're an absolute moron, Jensen Ackles.'

He loves that they can communicate without using actual words.

'So what is it you want?' she asks eventually. 'Keep in mind that I will not engage in any acts that will require me to a) dress up, b) pretend to be something I'm not, c) drink a keg of wine with you while we watch _Will and Grace_ , or d) do all of the above.'

'You wanna add that one to the contract?' he asks drily. 'Besides, you can't hold that against me. D only happened once.'

'Which was enough to turn it into a clause, Jensen. That's how bad it was.' She rubs a hand over her face in exasperation, but then repeats her question. 'What is it that you want?'

'The new guy,' he says. 'What can you tell me?'

'That's it?' Danneel's obviously surprised. But then her eyes narrow to tiny slits as she eyes him suspiciously. 'What's the catch?'

'I'm thinking he is,' he says with a smirk. 'Other than that, no catch, I swear. I just wanna know about the guy.'

She rolls her eyes at the pun, but she doesn't comment on it for once. 'Well, then you're asking the wrong girl.' She takes a pile of dirty saucers that Sandy's just shoved her way and starts loading in the dishwasher underneath the counter. 'You should ask Sand. He's her bff or something. They're living together and everything.'

'Wait,' Jensen says and tries to catch her eye, heart suddenly speeding up in his chest. 'Bff or bf?'

'What does that last one mean again?' she asks as she puts down a saucer and pretends to think hard. 'I get them mixed up. I think I'm getting too old for the lingo.'

'Danneel!' Jensen yells in frustration.

'Alright. Chill,' she says, trying to hide her laughter. 'I meant bff. They're like you and me.'

'Oh,' he says, slightly worried. If they're living together, that's only, like, one step away from falling head over heels for each other, right?

It's as if Danneel's read his mind, because she stares at him, holds his gaze for a minute before she talks again. 'Jensen. They're like. You. And. Me.' She speaks slowly, as if she's explaining something to a five-year-old. And then it dawns on him.

'Oh,' he says again.

Jensen's heartbeat doesn't slow down.

*

Great. So after he basically put Danneel through the third degree - even though she insisted she didn't know all that much and he should really ask Sandy - he knows three things about the new guy. One, his name is Jared Idontrememberjensenimbusy. Two, he is gay. And three, if the few times Danneel has worked with him are anything to go by, he is the happiest, bounciest person on earth, even at the ungodly hour in the morning the coffee house opens.

Perhaps he should ask Sandy, but if they really are just like him and Danneel, then Sandy will probably make Jared choke on his dinner by saying, 'Hey, you know that guy at the coffee shop that's been giving you the creepy stare these last couple of days? He's totally hot for you.'

Nope. He'd rather Jared find that out for himself. Well. Not the fact that Jensen's been creepily staring at him, but that he's hot for him. Well.

He's going to be subtle about it.

'I'd like a long black, please,' he says when Jared's on his own, one afternoon. He tries speaking with a lower voice, because he knows he gets squeaky when he's nervous, but he overcompensates and sounds plain scary.

Jared's noticed, obviously. 'Whoa, hey,' he says, so startled by Jensen's voice he nearly burns himself on the coffee machine. Then he looks at him and just. He just stares, like he's just come eye to eye with the monster in his closet.

Jensen wants the earth to swallow him.

After a moment, Jensen quickly diverts his eyes and coughs, searching for something to fill the silence but his brain completely fails him. Man, he wishes he was better at this kind of thing. 'So,' he says awkwardly.

'Right,' Jared says, shaking his head. 'What did you - I mean -'

'A long black,' Jensen repeats. He can feel his cheeks flush and quickly fishes his wallet out of his back-pocket so he can just pay for the damn thing and leave. No need to prolong Jared's agony. Or his own.

'Right,' Jared says again, scratching at his head. 'I've never - I - well. That's new. Sandy usually -'

'Oh,' Jensen says. He can feel his entire body tense up. Great move, Ackles. He nearly trips over his words when he speaks again. 'Well. Then, just. Just a regular, then.'

Oh God. This is without a doubt the most embarrassing conversation he's ever had, and Jensen's had plenty. He's not good socially, and he's well aware of that. He needs time to warm up to people, to trust them, before he can speak freely. So yeah, Jensen's had his share of awkward silences and he's been mortifyingly incoherent numerous times, but he's never been on the receiving end, as well. It's like he's talking to himself.

Jesus, he thought this guy was supposed to have awesome people skills. Of course, he'd be tongue-tied too if someone greeted him with a voice that sounded as if they'd just swallowed a handful of gravel.

'No. No no,' he says, more to himself than to Jensen. 'I gotta learn, right?'

'Okay,' Jensen says stupidly, because really, what could he say to that.

Jared gets a card out from under the counter - presumably with the guidelines on how to brew each kind of coffee - and starts working. On the one hand, Jensen really wants to talk to him. He wants this guy to notice him in a way that doesn't so much say, "hi, I'm an outcast of society because I'm just as scary as I seem" as it does, "I'm kind of weird at first, but you'll learn to love me in spite of that".

He searches for something to say, thinks of what Danneel would say if she were him. Probably something like, 'You not been working here long?' or 'So how're you liking your new job so far?' or something easy, friendly, like that. But then again, Jensen knows exactly how long he's been working here, so there's no way he's going to be able to ask that without it sounding rehearsed. And anything else is going to sound like he's grasping at straws for making small talk.

However, Jensen is past the stage that he actually cares about talking. He's just noticed Jared's arms and they're awe-inspiring. They're big and muscled and strong. They look like they could hold anyone down, if they needed to, and that kind of makes Jensen stop breathing.

He's been staring for a while, he realizes, when Jared says, 'Your - er - your long black.'

And there's actually a coffee cup right in front of him, all ready for him to drink. 'Right,' he says and shakes his head, as he puts a bill down on the counter.

He's about to leave for his table, so he can sit down and analyze this train wreck of a conversation when Jared stops him with one of his humongous hands. It sends a shock through Jensen's entire body, like an electrical current, that almost makes him drop the cup.

'Would you mind,' Jared starts hesitantly when the cup's stabilized on its saucer, 'drinking it here? Just to, you know, tell me if it's - if it's okay.'

Jensen doesn't even reply, he just downs the coffee entirely. And then he starts coughing immediately.

'Wow. That bad?' Jared asks, wincing.

It's not that it's really that bad. It's better than the sludge Sandy sells him. It's just - well. Jensen's pretty sure his hypothetical grandchildren will be walking around with blown pupils after this.

'No, no,' Jensen says quickly. 'It's like - I'm sure it's the perfect long black for a guy your size, but perhaps it's a bit much for midgets like me.'

Or maybe not, because that's the first decent sentence to come out of his mouth ever since he started talking to Jared. It makes him smile.

Jared doesn't seem to think it's funny, though. His face falls and he keeps staring at the cup. 'Oh, man,' he says, disappointed. 'I don't - I like almost never drink coffee, so I just. I didn't even know what a long - I guessed, I suppose. Damn.'

'Well, you guessed almost right,' Jensen tries. 'Just, use half as much next time.'

'Okay. Half,' he repeats, as if he's really making a mental note.

There's another silence that stretches just a second too long for Jensen to start up the conversation again, so he just smiles awkwardly and points at the table he was sitting at before walking away.

He hopes he gets hit by a bus on the way home.

*

'You told him, didn't you?' Jensen asks as he drags Danneel into a quieter corner of the coffee house. 'Or you told her.'

'Ow!' she yells, mostly because he took her by surprise and not because she's in actual pain. 'What are you talking about? I didn't tell anyone anything.'

'Jared! Or Sandy!' he whispers, but he's so wound up, it still sounds louder than if he would just talk normally. 'You told them that I like him!'

'What?' Danneel looks away, exasperated. 'You think that's all we can talk about? You?'

He doesn't answer, just stares at her with raised eyebrows, until finally her shoulders sag and she sighs heavily. 'No, Jensen,' she says monotonously. 'I didn't tell anyone. After what happened last time I tried to set you up, I'm done playing matchmaker.'

True, setting him up with Tom Welling might not have been a brilliant move on her part. Not only did Tom already have a boyfriend, but he was also one of the most shy and accommodating people on the planet. So they'd basically spent the entire night going, 'I don't know, what do you want to do?' It was almost as awkward as Jensen's conversation with Jared. They wound up being good friends, though, so it was not a total waste of time.

'Then you let something slip,' Jensen presses. He's sure that's what happened. He has to be sure, because if Jared's not uncomfortable around him because he knows Jensen's got a crush on him, then the only other explanation is that Jared simply doesn't like Jensen.

'No,' she says, annoyed. 'I didn't. Now can I get back to work?'

'You're absolutely sure?' he asks again.

'Yes, Jensen. Yes, I'm absolutely sure,' she nearly yells, but then she calms down and stares at him, frowning. 'Jesus, Jen.'

'I'm sorry,' he tells her as he runs a hand over his face.

'You got it that bad?' she asks compassionately. 'What's going on? Did you talk?'

'Not really,' he says, shrugging. 'I ordered a long black. It was a disaster.'

'The long black?' Danneel asks, trying to keep a straight face, until she notices that Jensen is not amused. 'Alright, I'm sorry. I'll stop being funny. What happened?'

'The usual,' he tells her and she gives him the sympathy nod. 'I tripped all over my words. _He_ tripped all over his words. It was ugly.'

Danneel looks at him for a moment, as if she's lost track of the conversation. 'Wait. We're talking about Jared, right?'

'I know,' Jensen says with a mirthless smile. 'It's like I'm contagious, now.'

'Aww, babe,' she says and gives him a short hug. 'I gotta get back to work, but you know what? Get out your _Will and Grace_ , I'll bring us back a good bottle of wine and we'll get wasted in front of the TV tonight.'

'What happened to the contract?' Jensen asks, eyebrows raised. 'I thought we were never doing that again.'

'Necessity knows no law,' Danneel says with a wink as she starts walking away.

'I love you, Danneel Harris,' Jensen yells after her.

'I know!' she yells back.

*

The next morning, Jensen is so hungover that he doesn't even remember to be nervous until there's only one person in front of him in the line for coffee and he hears Jared's voice.

'Wait, I know this one,' he says happily before the girl even has a chance to speak. 'Double venti caramel macchiato and a piece of our amazing banoffee pie, am I right?'

'How do you do that?' the girl asks, giggling. 'That's amazing.'

'You do come here every day and order the same thing,' he says, flashing his dimples at her. He says it in such a way that the girl doesn't even realize he's mocking her, she seems perfectly happy to focus on the fact that he noticed her coming in daily.

When she takes her tray and walks away from the counter, Jared yells after her, 'See you tomorrow!'

Jensen has to try his best not to laugh, especially when she gives him a happy smile and a wave. He shakes his head, grinning, but when he looks up again, Jared's giving him the same wide-eyed stare he did last time. They're quiet for a moment until Jensen realizes he has to order - it's not like Jared would know what he wants because he has been coming here every day. Even though he has.

'Long black,' he says quietly.

'I'm sor- I,' Jared starts hesitantly. Jensen's pretending to ignore that Jared's talking to his hair, rather than his face. 'What was -'

'A long black,' Jensen repeats, too loud and too eager.

'Oh, that's - I - half,' Jared says awkwardly. It takes Jensen a moment to understand what he's talking about, but he doesn't even have time to react, because Jared just points at the kitchen and says, 'You know, I'm just gonna -'

At first, Jensen thinks he's just going to ask Sandy how to make a long black, or maybe if she could show him what to do, but when only Sandy walks out of the kitchen and greets him with a wide, but nervous, smile, he knows the guy's not coming back. 'You wanted a cappuccino?'

He's still staring at the cafe doors that are hiding Jared when he answers, 'Long black. I wanted a long black.'

He swallows the 'from Jared' and goes to sit down at his table, tries to focus on his books. Ten minutes later, Jared resurfaces, all easy smiles and dimples and witty remarks. Except for when Jensen tries to get a refill, which Sandy has to bring him. Having to talk to him is apparently Jared's worst nightmare, because he can't get away from him fast enough.

So Jensen just watches.

*

About a week passes, that Jensen spends watching Jared, mostly, and in that entire week, there's not a single moment that Jared gets shy or lost for words. Not. A. Single. One.

Jensen even starts to wonder if it wasn't just his imagination. It has to be? He was probably just looking for awkward things about the guy, in a weird self-preservation kind of way. He does that sometimes.

By the time Jensen's walked up to the counter to give it one more shot, he's pretty much convinced it was just him. That is until he gets face to face with Jared and the guy doesn't even bother to excuse himself. He just swallows, gives him a deer-in-headlights stare and disappears into the kitchen.

And that just sends Jensen over the edge. Before he's even consciously decided to do it, he's followed Jared through the cafe doors.

'What's your problem?' Jensen barks angrily, pushing Jared into the wall. He's too riled up to trip over his words like he usually does. 'I mean, what did I ever do to you?'

'What?' Jared asks, completely puzzled.

'I've seen you with, I don't know, the entire world,' he spits, pointing at the coffee house. 'You're freaking James Bond, out there, all smooth and smiles and dimples. But when you're talking to me, all I get is a few awkward stutters? What the hell?'

'You're one to talk,' Jared huffs, crossing his arms over his chest.

'Did my social skills scare you?' he asks, half-intrigued, half-annoyed. 'Is that it?'

'Dude, you're like, mind-numbingly hot. I'm surprised that not everyone gets all tongue-tied around you,' Jared says, but then he eye-rolls and groans. 'Let's pretend I didn't say that.'

For a moment, Jensen is so stunned, he can only let out a high-pitched grunt. But then he quickly comes to his senses and says, 'No. No, let's not.'

'No, I mean,' Jared starts, embarrassed, making big gestures with his hands. 'That didn't come out right. What I meant to say was-'

'Let's pretend that what you meant to say was that you thought I was hot,' Jensen interrupts as he takes a few steps closer. It sounds ridiculous, saying stuff like that about himself. His voice is shaking and he's nervous as hell, but he has to make a move now or he'll never have the guts. 'And that I didn't almost assault you into saying that.'

'I feel like I'm getting the short end of the stick, here,' Jared tells him with a slight frown.

'That depends.' Jensen shrugs.

'On what?' Jared seems completely lost, like he has no idea what Jensen's talking about.

'On if you want me to ask you out or not.'

Jared stares at him for a moment. He looks like he's thinking hard, but then it dawns on him and his face clears. 'Wait. Are you gonna -'

'Do you want me to?'

'Do you want me to want it?' Jared shoots back immediately.

'What? Just answer -' Jensen winces. 'We might as well just stop here, we're never gonna get this right.'

'I agree. Less talking,' Jared says, eyes lighting up. And then he closes the distance between them and kisses Jensen.

It's mind-blowing. It's phenomenal. It's as if they somehow manage to pour all the words they never got to say into this one kiss. It's an explosion of emotions: they're both eager, both excited, curious, intoxicated - both entirely lost in that kiss. Jensen tries but he can't fight the moan that's welling up inside him and it seems to drive Jared crazy. He just goes in for the kill, puts both his - oh God, enormous - hands on Jensen's head and manipulates his body so easily - turns them around so Jensen's the one against the wall - as if it doesn't take any effort at all. It makes Jensen go limp with the rush of arousal. He moans again.

Jared tastes like peppermint.

When they finally come up for air, all Jensen can say is, 'Wow. That was - wow.'

'No words?' Jared asks, grinning.

'None whatsoever,' Jensen tells him and leans in for another kiss. Talking's overrated.

**Author's Note:**

> written in 2010, repost from [my ficwriting lj](http://fairly_tales.livejournal.com).  
> written for [amie](http://amindaya.livejournal.com).


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